News

eSign – Transition to Norwegian BankID QES

Scrive Support

• 3 min read

Overview

esign-002-2025
Product: Scrive eSign
Published: 2025-10-27
Edited: 2025-11-19, 2025-11-24, 2025-12-01, 2025-12-03
Environment: All
Change type: Mandatory, action required
Enforced as of: 2026-01-19 (new documents) 2026-02-01 (remaining pending documents)

Description

Norwegian BankID is upgrading their signing solution from Norwegian BankID to Norwegian BankID QES. This has an impact on Scrive eSign and you are required to update the signing method on your eSign processes from Norwegian BankID to Norwegian BankID QES.

It is mandatory and will be enforced for new documents, drafts, and templates from 19 January 2026 on and for all remaining pending documents from 1 February 2026 on. This applies to all Scrive eSign products (API, Online, GO, Flow, Forms, and Integrations).

This change does not affect Swedish BankID.

Impact

If you are currently using Norwegian BankID in your signing processes, you must switch to Norwegian BankID QES. This applies to all documents, irrespective of these being new, drafts, or existing templates.

Failure to do so will disrupt all new documents, new drafts as well as new templates from 19 January 2026 on, and all pending documents from 1 February 2026 on.

Changes

The existing option for signing with Norwegian BankID will become obsolete and is replaced with Norwegian BankID QES. Consequently, the authentication_method_to_sign method no_bankid is replaced with no_bankid_qes. The method no_bankid_qes does not require a personal number and if it is added manually, it is not validated against Norwegian BankID data and cannot be used to verify the signatory.

The authentication method Norwegian BankID that is concerning the access to documents will remain available.

This means that no_bankid for both properties, authentication_method_to_view and authentication_method_to_view_archived are not affected by this change.

These can be combined with Norwegian BankID QES to sign the documents.

Standard restrictions for QES

Following standard restrictions for signing with a QES method apply:

  • It is not possible to request or add attachments to a started signing process or after signing.
  • Every signing_party to a document must use a QES method (cannot be mixed with options for SES/AES). Different QES methods can be mixed.
  • Bundled one-click signing is not supported.
  • Hiding a personal number on the verification page is only possible when signing with QES. For NO BankID QES only, this limitation will be temporarily removed. However, when combining this possibility to hide the personal number with other QES providers, it will not be possible to start a document with such a conflicting setting.
  • Text fields have a fixed width during signing. All text is saved, but long text may appear cut off in the final document. It is therefore important to adapt the field width accordingly so that sufficient space is available when creating new processes. It is also recommended to review existing templates.
  • A viewer cannot have any fields placed on the document if a signing_party uses a QES method.
  • The field type SignatoryFieldSignDate is not supported on documents that are to be signed with a QES method.
  • The parameter can_forward is not supported when a document is signed with QES.
  • The functionality allows_highlighting can be used during signing but is limited. Highlighted sections will not be added to the sealed document.

Recommendation

The changes described above require your action when Norwegian BankID is used as a signing method on your processes.

The possibility for you to update the settings on your processes will be available to all API users from 8 December 2025 on.

You need to use Norwegian BankID QES going forward. Substitute no_bankid with no_bankid_qes for the property authentication_method_to_sign.

Failure to do so will stop your new processes from 19 January 2026 on.

The need to update this property is not limited to new processes that you start, you also need to update existing templates and drafts.

Beware that already pending documents that do not use Norwegian BankID QES will stop working from 1 February 2026 on. Such processes need to be completed before this deadline.¨

Already signed documents remain unaffected by this change.

Contact

You can find more information on these changes here.

If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out to Scrive Tech Support by emailing support@scrive.com referring to esign-002-2025.